Recently the UK government unveiled a new idea which could tackle the problem of roadworks and the resulting traffic jams. The proposal suggests that utility companies could pay a ‘lane rental' fee to the council if they choose to dig up the road during busy times.

Confused.com has polled 2,000 drivers in the UK asking whether this is a good plan which will help cut traffic jams or a plan which may cost consumers more in the long run.

UK motorists are divided on the proposal with almost half (49%) saying it's a good plan and they can't wait to see it happen and the other half (48%) feeling that it's not a good idea because utility companies who choose to pay the bills will pass these costs onto the consumer. The remainder were undecided.

Gareth Kloet, head of car insurance at Confused.com, said: "If these proposals reduce traffic jams then car owners will have something to smile about. Financially it's been a tough few years for drivers. Consumers are paying an average of £858 for annual comprehensive cover, having seen an increase of £22 in just three months and £170 over 12 months. Car owners really deserve a break and roads that run freely will be welcomed by anyone regularly blighted by queues.

"The ‘lane rental' fees could be a good incentive for companies to complete jobs more quickly reducing the potentially dangerous and infuriating situations that roadworks can create."

With UK energy companies having recently hiked up their prices, the last thing that customers want is any sort of extra ‘tax' which may end up being paid by the customer, says Lisa Greenfield, energy expert at Confused.com.

She added: "If this proposal goes ahead then UK households will be hoping that utility companies choose to work outside of peak hours and not pay the charges because any further hikes in utility costs would be unpleasant.”
 

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